John Bandringa is Intermec's Sr. Director of Corporate Design and Brand.Since joining Intermec in 1998, John has overseen the world-wide product design development of more than 50 handheld computers, vehicle mounted computers, RFID readers, scanners, and printers.John holds a bachelor of science degree in Product and Automotive Design from the ArtCenter College of Design.He is a member of the Industrial Design Society of America and holds several patents and awards for product design and innovation.Before joining Intermec, John was Design Director for Girvin International Strategic Brand Management, where he provided brand and design consulting to a number of Fortune 100 companies, including Microsoft, Apple, Starbucks, Shisedo and Disney.

John Bandringa, Intermec's director of corporate design, demonstrates the company's futuristic "Forklift of the Future," which utilizes radio frequency identification technology and mobile computers.

...

"They're not just talking to us or interested in it because it looks neat, but because they see the competitive advantage," said John Bandringa, Intermec's director of corporate design and team leader on the forklift project.

...

"I've done other projects, but this is the most exciting," Bandringa said.While inventory and data collection technology is becoming well established in many warehouses, it's usually added on to forklifts as an afterthought.The Forklift of the Future design team's goal was to integrate the technology in ways that customers wanted.

To do that, Intermec sent its designers out of the office, Bandringa said.

"It's really important to listen to the voice of the customer.We didn't just listen to the warehouse manager, we listened to the information technology manager, the forklift driver ... all of whom had different perspectives," he said.

After extensively surveying customers, Bandringa's team created hundreds of concepts, designs and foam models.In addition to figuring out what data collection devices to add to the forklift, the team focused on making all the technology as durable as possible.

"Anything that you put on the forklift has to be at least equal to or more durable than the forklift itself," he said.

The Intermec team put much thought, for example, into cable managers - coverings to both organize and protect the crucial wires connecting the forklift's on-board computer, control grip and radio frequency-identification equipment.It turns out cables are prone to wear out fast in the not-so-delicate warehouse environment.The computer itself, an Intermec CV-60, is covered in magnesium.

The placement of the onboard Intermec computer in the steering column also came after considerable thought, Bandringa said.

...

Bandringa doesn't deny the feature-filled forklift was a fun diversion from more everyday design tasks.

"Personally, this is the most integrated and complex system I've worked on ... but this is also the most exciting," he said.

The high-tech forklift has real potential to improve inventory tracking and supply chain management, says John Bandringa, Intermec's director of corporate design, who developed the system.

"The standard forklift is literally a dumb asset that can move materials from point A to point B without having any smarts in it," Bandringa said."The forklift of the future is this dumb device becoming much smarter."

Until now, workers have typically scanned RFID tags in a scanning portal on a warehouse dock.By placing RFID readers on the actual forks of a lift, the boxes can be scanned from any location, even while they're being moved.That can save time and money, Bandringa says.

"By using stationary portals for the scanning function, you first have to move the material to the portal," he said.

...

"Warehouse managers can use this system to orchestrate a kind of ballet where any number of forklifts are going out to pick up materials," Bandringa said.

The forklift's antennas, which read the product data, are wrapped in a thick polycarbonate covering -- the same material used in bulletproof glass.That's needed to protect the cables from damage in demanding warehouse settings.

"The rule is that anything you put on a lift has to be at least as durable -- or more so -- than the lift itself," Bandringa said.

The brains of the system are built into a dashboard computer with touch-screen controls.Cameras are located on the front of the lift.

The high-tech forklift has real potential to improve inventory tracking and supply chain management, says John Bandringa, Intermec's director of corporate design, who developed the system.

"The standard forklift is literally a dumb asset that can move materials from point A to point B without having any smarts in it," Bandringa said."The forklift of the future is this dumb device becoming much smarter."

Until now, workers have typically scanned RFID tags in a scanning portal on a warehouse dock.By placing RFID readers on the actual forks of a lift, the boxes can be scanned from any location, even while they're being moved.That can save time and money, Bandringa says.

"By using stationary portals for the scanning function, you first have to move the material to the portal," he said.

...

"Warehouse managers can use this system to orchestrate a kind of ballet where any number of forklifts are going out to pick up materials," Bandringa said.

The forklift's antennas, which read the product data, are wrapped in a thick polycarbonate covering , the same material used in bulletproof glass.That's needed to protect the cables from damage in demanding warehouse settings.

"The rule is that anything you put on a lift has to be at least as durable , or more so , than the lift itself," Bandringa said.

The brains of the system are built into a dashboard computer with touch-screen controls.Cameras are located on the front of the lift.